Is a Panama Canal cruise a guy thing?

[SEAGURRL]

1 hour ago, BEAV said:

Fact: Female engineers exist (both mechanical and locomotive)
 

Fact: Real men eat quiche

 

 

Yes, yes we do exist (electrical)!  Did the full transit about 10 years ago and spent the day running around the ship to check out all the views.  Also read "The Path Between the Seas" which provided lots of history and background. I'd love to do the east to west itinerary next time.

[Spif Barwunkel]

Both DW and I have no desire to cruise the Panama Canal nor the itinerary associated with that cruise.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

My mom and dad did it on Disney and m mom loved it as much as my dad. Our family doesn't believe in the term "bucket list", so I don't know if it was a travel goal, but they both loved it.

[raudacruise]

Didn’t know what the big deal was until we did full transits years ago. First Mercury, then Infinity. Absolutely loved it. (I did my homework and read “Path between the Seas” beforehand.) In recent years have had three bookings cancelled but I’m determined to cruise there again. Love longer cruises and Sea Days. No Edge class for me, want to transit the old locks, look more interesting than the new.

 

BTW have done the partial transit Shore Ex twice. Enjoyed the first one, the second was just dreadful. Not booking again.

Edited June 7, 2023 by raudacruise

[Mark_K]

We did one last spring and really enjoyed it.  It was pretty much a mutual decision.

 

it got interesting too when the wall of the canal bumped into the starboard side of Millennium.  🙄

[RTShaker]

We just came back from the westbound transit and my significant other loved it so much she is starting to plan another. i also did this in "07 on the Summit and my late DW loved it also.

[daydreamer16]

We did full transit both ways on Princess. Also decided we liked FLL to LAX best. Will do again in a heartbeat!

[AmberCascades]

2 hours ago, rcrabb1513 said:

I understand that.  I'm a real geek at heart, my wife not so much.  I don't want to spend a bunch of $$$ on something just for me.

 

It's just one aspect though.  What about the other ports?  Even if she doesn't enjoy canal day, there are other interesting ports to explore on other days.

 

I'm the one who does the cruise picking and this cruise came up when I was looking for something for our special anniversary.  We did the full canal cruise in 2015 for our 25th anniversary.  My birthday, was also included so that was a bonus.  We were in Cartagena on the actual day and we had a great tour (with Marelvy Pena).  We enjoyed our other ports as well and looking back it is one of our most favourite cruises.  Neither one of us is a canal / dam / lock geek, but we ended up spending a lot of time watching from all over the ship as we went through the locks.  

 

I don't know your wife, so I can't say for sure, lol, but I don't see why she wouldn't also enjoy this itinerary.

[Sigyn]

I'm a woman and I would love to cruise through the Panama Canal.

[JLMcruise]

Book it! I loved it. My husband and I did it in April - would do it again in a heart beat. 

[skatelady]

One of my favourite cruises.  It was something my mom always wanted to do but her health wouldn't allow it.  We did it after she passed in her memory.  Hope she was watching.

[SPacificbound]

It wasn't "bucket list" for me, but I certainly enjoyed the cruise. We have actually done Panama Canal twice with different itineraries.

[eyecantwait]

40 minutes ago, skatelady said:

One of my favourite cruises.  It was something my mom always wanted to do but her health wouldn't allow it.  We did it after she passed in her memory.  Hope she was watching.

Same here! My mom talked about it for years but sadly died without taking the trip.

DH and I did the Infinity in 2009 repositioning from Santiago, Chile to Ft. Lauderdale and brought a photo of my parents along so they could finally go.

[hcat]

We did the Partial Transit some yrs ago..We ( me and dh) loved it.  The partial transit through the lock into Lake Gatun was thrilling! An engineering marvel.  Not just for guys or geeks!

 

We loved all the ports..heavy on nature, jungle, animals,  birds and local culture.   We would consider a  full transit  someday & would love to see the expansion.

 

Read the "Path Between the Seas"  for history and insight!

[rcrabb1513]

I pitched the cruise to my wife and she was all in!  We did reverse the itinerary since we live in the midwest.  Travailing to the west coast to start the cruise and returning from Fort Lauderdale seemed the better way to go.

[CruiserBruce]

7 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

If someone doesn't like sea days, a full transit isn't for them; a partial is the best compromise

There aren't an large number of sea days on a canal cruise, but I guess you would need to define "large number".

 

Our first was to take my in laws. My F-i-L had sailed through a number of times during WWII, and initially wasn't interested. But everything he had told my M-i-L made it very interesting to her. So Dad tagged along. He LOVED sailing it on a cruise ship, as opposed to a warship, and Mom was happy as a clam.

 

By the way, my DW has signed up for 4 full transits and 1 partial.

[mahdnc]

42 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

There aren't an large number of sea days on a canal cruise, but I guess you would need to define "large number".

 

Our first was to take my in laws. My F-i-L had sailed through a number of times during WWII, and initially wasn't interested. But everything he had told my M-i-L made it very interesting to her. So Dad tagged along. He LOVED sailing it on a cruise ship, as opposed to a warship, and Mom was happy as a clam.

 

By the way, my DW has signed up for 4 full transits and 1 partial.

 

I am not sure what you would consider to be a large number of sea days then!  Our Apr 2024 transcanal (Summit) is 14 nights long with 8 sea days. 

 

To me the ocean crossings are synonymous with large number of sea days and the ones we have been (or will be) on only have one more sea day:  

Our 15 night transatlantic (Constellation) last Oct was 15 nights with 9 sea days.  

Our Apr 2025 transpacific (Solstice) is 17 nights long with 9 sea days.

 

Although the number of sea days are comparable, they are more broken up on the transcanal sailing--no more than 3 sea days in a row.

Edited June 8, 2023 by mahdnc

[RTShaker]

28 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

I am not sure what you would consider to be a large number of sea days then!  Our Apr 2024 transcanal (Summit) is 14 nights long with 8 sea days. ...

Just got off the Millennium 15 day Panama with 9 sea days and 5 ports. 10 sea days if you count the crossing day.

[mahdnc]

16 minutes ago, RTShaker said:

Just got off the Millennium 15 day Panama with 9 sea days and 5 ports. 10 sea days if you count the crossing day.

 

Your transcanal cruise was one day longer than mine will be.  That extra day was spent at Puerto Quetzal which is not on my sailing.  So you also had 8 sea days--not counting the canal transit.  You see, you had such a nice relaxing cruise that you lost track of time. 

 

The extra port day broke up your sea days even more. You never had more than two sea days in a row.  I like that distribution.

 

Photo is courtesy of @DaKahuna

Edited June 8, 2023 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

5 hours ago, Sigyn said:

I'm a woman and I would love to cruise through the Panama Canal.

 

With or without cats? And would your screen name change as a result?

[RTShaker]

45 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

Your transcanal cruise was one day longer than mine will be.  That extra day was spent at Puerto Quetzal which is not on my sailing.  So you also had 8 sea days--not counting the canal transit.  You see, you had such a nice relaxing cruise that you lost track of time. 

 

The extra port day broke up your sea days even more. You never had more than two sea days in a row.  I like that distribution.

 

Photo is courtesy of @DaKahuna

Oops. The original (cancelled by Celebrity) was even better. It went the other way and had a stop in Cabo as well.

 

[Sigyn]

10 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

With or without cats? And would your screen name change as a result?

With cats, preferably in those clear backpacks, and possibly a name change. But no photo change. 

[lasnev]

Bucket list for me and I am the wife! Ever since I was a kid I remember learning about it in school, it definitely was one of the greatest man made marvels of the world and I believe it still is. I might finally get my my chance next spring!! 🙂

[cfkm1]

We did Panama Canal itinerary 3 times and still marveled at how the canal worked..Setting the technicality aside, it was always a great day sitting at the balcony enjoying the view and watching the ships passing by.

 

 

[shadow 123]

I'm doing a partial in October of next year with holland America. I can't wait And then I'm female